Posted on 09/20/2012 6:48:13 PM PDT by markomalley
President Barack Obama told an Hispanic audience today that his biggest mistake was not passing a large-scale amnesty of illegal immigrants.
The statement comes amid a continuing decline in the percentage of Americans who are working, and amid a rapid increase in government debt to $16 trillion.
My biggest failure is that we havent got comprehensive immigration reform done but it was not for lack of trying or desire, Obama told his mostly Hispanic audience during the hour-long town hall meeting organized by the Spanish-language TV network, Univision.
The immigration issue is important for Obama, because he wants to maximize Hispanic support and turnout in November.
Obama and his campaign deputies want to maximize Hispanic support because hes lost support from white voters who are worried about the stalled economy, high deficits and high unemployment.
Immigration reform is an important election-day factor for many Hispanics, even though new immigrants compete for jobs against established immigrants.
It is important because opposition to illegal Hispanic immigrants is seen as disrespectful by many Hispanics. Also, many Hispanic citizens and residents have close family or workplace ties ties to illegal immigrants.
Obamas focus on immigration came after the the Univision interviewers grilled him for failing to fulfill his campaign promise to get what conservatives consider an amnesty, which is dubbed by supporters as comprehensive immigration reform.
You actually broke your promise, said co-host Maria Elena Salinas.
Obama blamed the GOP for the failure to pass reform, even though Obama had majorities in the House and Senate until early 2010.
Ive learned some lessons over the last four years, and the most important lesson that you cant change Washington from the inside, you can only change it from the outside, he said, while asking Hispanics to support his re-election campaign.
Obama also cited his July decision to defer deportation of perhaps 1.7 million younger illegal aliens.
That decision has been slammed as illegal and destructive by GOP legislators.
The decision provides work permits to at least 800,000 working-age illegals, despite very high unemployment rates among low-skilled Americans.
I have never wavered in my support of comprehensive immigration reform, he said, adding that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would pressure illegals to leave the country.
Romney suggested the main solution for immigration is self-deportation, Obama said.
Obamas Univision statement came a few days after a videotape of Romney showed him suggesting that 47 percent of voters support Democratic politicians in exchange for government payments. Romneys crude conflation of election strategy and political analysis has spurred criticism from conservatives and progressives.
Obamas immigration comments also followed his Sept. 18 Letterman Show appearance, during which he said he does not know how much the government owes its creditors.
I dont remember what the number was precisely however, we dont have to worry about it short term, he told David Letterman.
During the Sept. 20 Univision interview, Obama said the immigration failure was his greatest mistake, even though unemployment among Americans has reached record levels.
The formal unemployment rate has remained above 8.1 percent throughout Obamas term.
Millions more Americans have dropped out of the workforce, and millions more are working part-time jobs. GOP leaders, including Romney, say 23 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed.
The unemployment rate is higher among low-skill workers.
Roughly half of black men between 18 and 30 do not have full-time jobs, according to data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
At least 10.1 percent of working-age Hispanics are unemployed. Twenty-nine percent of Hispanics aged 16 to 19 who want a job cant find a job.
Unemployment among university graduates is also very high. For example, in 2011, 54 percent of bachelor-degree graduates aged 25 or under were unemployed or underemployed, according to an April study by academics at Northwestern University.
Overall, unemployment is so high that four times as many people dropped out of the workforce in August as gained jobs.
The high unemployment rate has persisted despite Obamas support for the 2009 stimulus which cost roughly $819 billion and massive deficit spending of more than $1 trillion per year.
FU BO!!! From someone who is NOT better off than he was four years ago!
HIT HARDER, MITT! He's handing you Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania!
Barry’s priority is and has always been Communist “Healthcare” so the liberals can begin their genocide program. He could care less about the illegal aliens except when election time rolls around. He’ll say anything to get their votes.
GOP needs to glom on to this one. Here I’ll write the headline: Obama places illegals above unemployed Americans.
Let 0m0slem at it and it will skyrocket like fuel prices! See even the Truth Fairy tells the truth occasionally!
One can only conclude from this statement that Obama feels the status of illegal aliens is more important than the millions of unemployed Americans and skyrocketing debt.
He simply telling the audience what they want to hear and at the same time distracting them from his really big unemployment failure.
When using the word "failure" to describe Obama, one mustn't forget what the commie's goals are. Clue: they ain't what's best for America.
Have ourselves a Merry Little Christmas...
Thanks markomalley.
Can you get any more pathetic Zeeb?
Let me translate Obama into Spanglish....
Ohla! Idotas! Yo Quiero sus Votas...una Mas Tiempo!!!!
Orale! Piasos! “Bend Over”....Ha! Ha! OLE!!!
But it was not for lack of trying or desire? LIAR!!! During the first two years he had both the U.S. House and the Senate locked up. He is blowing smoke up their collective arses. If they fall for that they are beyond stupid.
Obama apologizes to mexico for not leaving the border wide open?!!. On univision no less? Might as well send the border patrol home now, they have no mission.
That will play well with the illegals.
HIT HARDER, MITT! He’s handing you Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania!
I’m sure you could add a few more like VA, NC, WI, MO...
I’m sorry I’ll get it right if you re-elect me.....
The Demwits should have had Charlie Sheen do his “winning!” shtick as their keynote speaker.
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